Adjustable screed cradle



Aug. 5, 1969 c. M. GUILLIAMS 3,453,954

ADJUSTABLE SCREED CRADLE Filed Nov. 24, 1967 IN VEN TOR. 0/1424 ES M. 60/44 #9445,

BY v

11m f b mm; f mm IGTTdE/VEYS.

United States Patent Oflice 3,458,964 ADJUSTABLE SCREED CRADLE Charles M. Guilliams, 404 Ward St., Paducah, Ky. 42001 Filed Nov. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 685,367 Int. Cl. E04f 13/06; E04c /16; F161 3/08 US. Cl. 52-365 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A screed cradle comprising: a flat base plate; spaced, parallel rails inclined to said plate and supported thereon; a carriage slidable on said rails and extending therebetween, said carriage having means to support a screed parallel to said base plate while said carriage is on said rails.

When a concrete floor of any substantial thickness is to be poured there is a definite problem in assuring that the thickness of concrete poured is correct and that the floor is reasonably level. To do this, screeds are used. The screed itself may be cylindrical (pipe) or it may be rectangular (wood) or it may be of metal in any of the generally-rolled shapes. This application, as a matter of convenience, shows the screed as a length of cylindrical pipe but with minor modifications any other form may be used.

It is essential that the screeds as distributed over the base of the floor to be poured should project as a level surface and that the level surface should approximate the desired thickness of the floor above the base material. The base material may be a wooden or metal form or it may be a fill of grout, cinders or like material, and in the case of grout, cinders or like material, it is, today, rather common practice to overlay the base surface with a sheet-like moisture barrier such as polyethylene. When this is done, and it is by no means uncommon practice, such a barrier should remain imperforate.

The present invention is concerned not with the screed itself but with an adjustable support which will hold the screed not only level but at a desired spacing from the base of the form.

It is particularly an object of this invention to provide a screed cradle which does not depend on any particular type of flooring for the mold; which will not perforate a moisture barrier covering the bottom of the mold; and which has a wide range of vertical adjustability with convenient, positive securement of the parts in ad justed position.

The above and other objects will be made clear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of improved screed support;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the support shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1, showing a different form of support;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of the support of FIG- URE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the screed cradle is made up of two parts, namely, a base portion generally designated 10 and a carriage generally designated 12. The base portion 10 comprises a base plate 14 having outstanding wings 16 and upstanding leg members 18 and 20. The upstanding leg portions 18 and 20 are connected by outwardly extending flange members 22 which constitute inclined rails and which have a series of perforations 24, for a purpose presently to be described.

3,458,964 Patented Aug. 5, 1969 The carriage 12 has a base plate 26 with a central opening 28 and an upstanding flange 30 bent with reference to the base plate 26 so that it occupies a vertical plane even when the base plate is mounted on the inclined rails 22.

Opposite the upstanding flange 30, the base plate 26 is provided with a bent-over stiffening flange 32 which extends from the opposite side of the base plate 26 from that of the upstanding flange 30.

The base plate 26 is provided with a pair of tongues 34 forming downward extensions on the flange 30 and spaced so that their outer edges will fit between the inner edges of the rails 22. The extremities of the stiffening tongue 32 are similarly spaced. At the outer corners of the base plate 26 there are formed tongues 36 which are bent in U-formation so as to encompass the outer edges of the rails 22. Perforations 38 are formed in each margin of the base plate 26 and are located for registry with the holes or apertures 24 in the rails 22.

When the lugs 36 are engaged with the rails 22, as shown in FIGURE 2, the carriage 12 is slidable on the rails and when adjusted to the correct height, a nail, cotter pin or other locking means is dropped through registering perforations 38 and 24 to arrest any further upward or downward sliding movement. In FIGURE 2, a common nail 40 is illustrated.

The upper edge of the flange 30 is cut away on an arc 42 and the bottom of the arc is spaced sufliciently above the base plate 26 so that when the carriage 12 is on the rails 22, the bottom of the cut 42 will be level with the opposite edge of the plate 26 so that a screed 44 placed thereon will be supported between the flange 30 and the opposite edge 26' of the base plate 26, the gelatilorgship being illustrated particularly in FIGURES When the carriage 12 is adjusted on the rails 22 so that the uppermost portion of the screed 44 is at the desired height, concrete 46 is poured so as to cover the base 10, the carriage 12 and the screed 44 up to its upper surface 48 which is even with the uppermost portion of the screed 44 and, of course, with similar uppermost portions of other screeds 44 spaced about the floor to be poured.

FIGURE 4 shows a variation in which the base member 10 is identical with that of FIGURE 1 and like reference numerals are used on the same parts. A carriage generally designated 50, however, is employed with this form and has rails 52 equipped with inside lugs 54 and outer lugs 56 corresponding respectively with the lugs 34 and 36 of FIGURE 1, and the rails 52 are provided with perforations 53 similar in location and function to the perforations 38 formed in the carriage 12.

The rails 52 are joined by a U-shaped portion 58 having a substantially central opening 60 to define a trough which, as shown in FIGURE 5, has a level bottom when the carriage 50 is engaged with the rails 22. The carriage 50 is held in adjusted position by a nail or cotter pin 40, as described with reference to FIGURE 2, and as shown in FIGURE 6. With the screed 44 in position, concrete 46 is poured until its upper surface 48 is even with the uppermost surface of the screed 44.

In use, it is optional with the contractor whether to withdraw the screeds 44 before the concrete fully has hardened and to fill up the trough, thereby created with additional concrete or to leave the screeds 44 in place, where they do perform a certain reinforcing function.

By varying the spacing of the perforations 24- as between the rails 22 and by spacing the perforations 38 as between the two sides of the carriage 12 or the perforations 54 as between the two sides of the carriage 50,

extremely close adjustments can be made with the option of passing the cotter pin through either of the rails 22.

The openings between the legs 18 and 20, the opening 28 in the carriage 12 and the opening 60 in the carriage 50 all contribute to the function of the device by facilitating the flow of concrete through and around the parts with minimization of voids.

What is claimed is:

1. A screed cradle comprising: a base plate having a pair of spaced upright side walls, the upper edges of said side walls being inclined toward the base plate and having laterally extending flanges; and a screed carriage slidable on said flanges and having guide means engaging said flanges.

2. The screed cradle of claim 1, in which said screed carriage has an upturned flange to bring a screed supported thereby parallel to said base plate.

3. The screed cradle of claim 1, in which said screed carriage has, intermediate its areas of engagement with the flanges of said upright walls, a screed supporting trough, said trough having its bottom parallel to said base plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,066,718 1/1937 Dietz 52-122 2,539,703 1/1951 Sato 254-l04 2,877,875 3/1959 Bolt 52-422 X 2,932,487 4/1960 Moe 254-104 3,330,085 7/1967 Schall .a 52-678 X ALFRED C. PERHAM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

